2016 Annual Averages ‐ Persons not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Current Population Survey > Home

HOUSEHOLD DATA
ANNUAL AVERAGES
35. Persons not in the labor force by desire and availability for work, age, and sex
[In thousands]
Category	Total		Age						Sex
	2015	2016	16 to 24 years		25 to 54 years		55 years and over		Men		Women
	2015	2016	2015	2016	2015	2016	2015	2016	2015	2016	2015	2016
Total not in the labor force	93,671	94,351	17,367	17,232	23,957	23,513	52,347	53,606	37,481	37,743	56,190	56,608
Do not want a job now(1)	87,589	88,502	15,525	15,452	21,344	21,032	50,719	52,018	34,681	35,009	52,907	53,492
Want a job(1)	6,082	5,849	1,842	1,780	2,612	2,481	1,628	1,587	2,799	2,733	3,283	3,116
Did not search for work in previous year	3,454	3,415	1,030	994	1,357	1,353	1,067	1,069	1,507	1,522	1,947	1,894
Searched for work in previous year, but not in past 4 weeks(2)	2,628	2,434	812	787	1,256	1,128	561	519	1,292	1,211	1,336	1,222
Not available to work now	673	630	287	257	307	287	79	86	277	251	395	379
Marginally attached (available to work now)(3)	1,956	1,804	525	530	949	841	482	433	1,015	960	941	843
Discouraged over job prospects(4)	664	553	159	130	316	267	189	156	404	345	261	208
Reasons other than discouragement	1,291	1,250	366	400	632	573	293	277	611	615	680	635
Family responsibilities	216	199	23	26	138	127	55	46	64	61	153	138
In school or training	212	224	154	171	51	47	7	7	106	120	107	105
Ill health or disability	168	144	16	16	77	67	75	62	84	77	84	67
Other(5)	695	682	174	187	366	333	155	162	358	356	337	326
Footnotes (1) Includes some persons who are not asked if they want a job. (2) Persons who had a job in the prior 12 months must have searched since the end of that job. (3) Persons "marginally attached to the labor force" are those who want a job, have searched for work during the prior 12 months, and were available to take a job during the reference week, but had not looked for work in the past 4 weeks. (4) Discouraged workers are persons marginally attached to the labor force who did not actively look for work in the prior 4 weeks for reasons such as thinks no work available, could not find work, lacks schooling or training, employer thinks too young or old, and other types of discrimination. (5) Includes those who did not actively look for work in the prior 4 weeks for such reasons as child-care and transportation problems, as well as a small number for which reason for nonparticipation was not ascertained.
NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

Last Modified Date: February 8, 2017